"How much time do you need to take our pictures?"

We’d never want you to look back on the memories of your wedding day and think, “Remember when the photographers made us do that?” or “We didn’t even get pictures of _______.” Our job as photographers is to capture each special moment as it naturally unfolds in the way that you have planned it—we don’t want to be the directors of the day, staging every moment. 

That being said, we do realize there are a few parts of the day you’ll value having captured, so it’s important to proactively work them into the schedule to ensure they happen.

Actually, our answer depends on YOUR answers to the following two questions.

1. Do you plan to see each other before the wedding?

Have you thought about doing a “First Look” to see each other before the ceremony? WIth a First Look, there's a very candid, genuine emotion captured of a couple in a hand-picked, private location. It tends to spread the schedule too, so there’s less to squeeze in between the ceremony and reception. Check out this great post about this concept from one of my FAVORITE wedding photographers. (She even included a couple additional links inside that post, one of which features a few grooms' opinions of their First Look experiences.)  

Chad and I did the traditional "wait until the wedding" when we were married. In retrospect, I actually wish we had done a First Look! Why? I imagined walking down the aisle as a fairytale dream-come-true, but in reality I ended up being nearly paralyzed with nerves as everyone suddenly stood to stare at me when I entered! Ha! The first time Chad and I ever had a "private moment" to soak it all in as Bride and Groom wasn't until later at the reception.

...BUT, all that being said, we still have deep appreciation for the tradition of Brides & Grooms waiting to see each other on the aisle, too. We’ve captured very sweet emotions of others in those significant moments during the ceremony. It will be special either way—it's YOUR wedding, so it's totally up to you! :)

2. What are your photo priorities?

Besides the actual wedding ceremony and reception, which wedding day “extras” do you and your fiance value most? Images of the two of you? Portraits of the Bride / Groom? Your “getting ready” time? Images with your wedding party? Images with your immediate family? Extended family? Detail shots of things like shoes, flowers, jewelry, place settings, and decorations? Images in multiple locations en route to your reception location? Just un-photographed time spent with your wedding party somewhere (aka, “leave us alone!”)? Making the cocktail hour to mingle with your guests? Something else entirely?? 

Our goal for every wedding is to get you back to your guests as quickly as possible—we don’t want the main memory of your wedding day to be “getting photos taken.” It is best to have some planned padding in the schedule so your images will be beautifully natural and completed with excellence & without a rushed feeling.

Chad and I always suggest that the images of the two of you together be the #1 priority on your list next to the actual ceremony and reception shots. Let’s face it—your top favorites from the day probably won’t include your cousin Sally, twice removed.

Whether before the ceremony or after, we encourage saving a half-hour to 45 minutes (plus any necessary driving time) for just the Bride and Groom together. Depending on your priorities, the remaining time might be sliced like this: a half hour for wedding party shots, half hour for family (depending on size of families and assuming they are gathered), 10 minutes for portraits of the Bride, and 10 minutes for portraits of the Groom (not necessarily in that order). Images of details and decorations will be captured as long as the schedule is loose enough for Chad and I to work them in (again, “padding” is key). 

Granted... these are just suggestions.

We will take whatever time is available and make the very most of it. :) We’ve shot weddings where we’ve only had a half hour (it wasn’t ideal, but we did it!) and we’ve also shot weddings where we set our cameras down for an hour for the wedding party to just hang out in between priorities. It just depends on what kind of pace you’d prefer for your wedding day. 

We love walking alongside our couples in this “timeline making process” so we’re all on the same page. Six months out from your big day, you’ll get a questionnaire from us that will help document all the details of the day. Two months before your wedding, we’ll get together to help solidify your schedule. It’ll be painless!

In the meantime, imagine the day a bit and do some dreaming.

Remember, it doesn't have to work for "others," it just needs to work for you and your fiance. No matter what happens (planned or unplanned!), it’ll be perfectly unique to you.

- Amber